Denver Zoo: Big Cats

Non-horsey post today… here are my favorite photos I got of the big cats at Denver zoo.

First up, the lions. I was hoping I would get to see their lion cub, Tatu, and was not disappointed!

The male (I think this is Tobias?) wasn’t with the others, but he was calling to them to let them know where he was.

I had signed up for one of their Up Close Animal Encounters with their tigers. A couple employees took the small group behind the scenes, where we got to meet the keepers. They explained how they care for the two tigers at the zoo, showing us what they eat, what kind of enrichment they use in the exhibits, as well as answering any questions.

We got to meet their female Amur tiger, Nikita:

Everyone was also given the opportunity to feed her a small chunk of meat. We were given a very long spoon, and the meat was dropped down a metal chute. It’s not every day you get to feed a tiger!

The encounter was well worth it and very reasonably priced (when compared to similar experiences at other zoos) and all the money goes back into conservation. I’m so glad I decided to go for it!

Shortly after, there was a keeper talk going on with their male tiger, Yuri.

They had him stand for everyone to see as well, (he’s much bigger than Nikita!) but my photos didn’t turn out. I was surprised this one did though:

He is gorgeous.

Later, their cheetah was out walking around:

And I felt really lucky to get a somewhat decent shot of their fishing cat: